The invention relates to a power distribution unit capable of distributing a power supply to multiple electrical devices. The invention applies to any system requiring the distribution of alternating or direct current power supplies. The invention applies, for example, to a cabinet for a computer data storage unit incorporating mass storage subsystems, network elements of the SAN (Storage Area Network) type such as concentrators, switches, etc. The invention particularly applies to computer cabinets wherein the mass storage subsystems comprise disks that store data using RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology or JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) technology, both of which are known to one skilled in the art.
Hereinafter, the expression xe2x80x9celectrical devicesxe2x80x9d will be used in place of the expression xe2x80x9cmass storage subsystems and network elements.xe2x80x9d
Generally, a power distribution unit comprises at least one distribution point for the power supply, and at least one female outlet on its side designed to receive a male connector of a cable of an electrical device, at least one circuit breaker comprising a respective push button for resetting it. The distribution point is electrically connected by means of a respective electrical cable to a manually resettable circuit breaker. A circuit breaker is connected by means of an electrical cable to at least one female outlet.
In the example chosen, the computer cabinet has a parallelepipedic shape with four vertical sides and two horizontal sides.
This cabinet has two openings on its vertical sides:
A first opening, constituting the front side of the cabinet, allows a user to use the volume of the cabinet by inserting electrical devices into it. The electrical cables of each device are accessible on the rear side, which constitutes the second opening defined below.
A second opening, located on the side of the cabinet opposite the first opening. This second opening constitutes the rear side of the cabinet and allows a user to insert the distribution unit, and in particular, to electrically connect the electrical devices to the distribution unit by means of respective electrical cables. The accessible side of the distribution unit is located on this rear side of the cabinet.
The electrical connections of the electrical devices of the cabinet to the distribution unit are made on the accessible side of the distribution unit. For this reason, on its accessible side, the distribution unit must comprise as many female outlets as there are electrical devices to be supplied with power in the cabinet.
A distribution unit also comprises manually resettable circuit breakers, thus providing protection against possible failures in any electrical device in the cabinet. Generally, each circuit breaker is disposed on the accessible side of the distribution unit near the female outlet associated with it.
Let us recall that a failure may be due to an overload or a short circuit in any device in the cabinet.
The distribution unit must therefore comprise, on its accessible side, as many female outlets and circuit breakers as there are electrical devices to be supplied with power in the cabinet.
A simplistic solution could consist of building units of such size that the accessible side can receive as many female outlets and circuit breakers as there are electrical devices to be supplied with power in the cabinet.
The big problem is that, in order to encourage the opening of markets while ensuring the compatibility and interoperability of computer cabinets with one another, the structure of a computer cabinet and the associated electrical devices must be designed in accordance with precise standards.
In the present case, the distribution unit must be designed in accordance with the EIA 19-inch standard (1 inch=2.54 cm) and must have a height of 1 U (xcx9c44 mm).
In concrete terms, the computer cabinet chosen as an exemplary illustration in the description below comprises 12 electrical devices. The distribution unit therefore requires on its accessible side:
12 standardized outlets on its side that is accessible by a user,
the same number of protective thermal circuit breakers (with their potential break point visible),
a maximum total current capacity of 24 Amperes,
and the outlet for the main power cable of the cabinet.
It is physically impossible, for space reasons, to accommodate a cable outlet, 12 female power supply outlets and the associated circuit breakers on the accessible side of a 1U distribution unit.
The object of the invention is to solve this problem by providing a distribution unit of simple and economical design that is easy and safe to use.
To this end, the subject of the invention is a power distribution unit for supplying power to at least one electrical device, comprising at least one distribution point for the power supply, and at least one female outlet on its side designed to receive a male connector of a cable of an electrical device, said point being electrically connected by means of a respective electrical cable to at least one manually resettable circuit breaker, said at least one circuit breaker comprising a respective push button for resetting it, a circuit breaker being connected by means of a respective electrical cable to at least one female outlet, characterized in that said at least one circuit breaker is located inside the unit, and in that it comprises at least one reset mechanism capable of resetting said at least one circuit breaker.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reset mechanism comprises two parts:
a first mechanical part that fastens said at least one circuit breaker (BRK1-BRK6) to the inside of the unit,
a second part comprising at least one reset mechanism (RM) capable of resetting said at least one circuit breaker remotely. To this end, in our exemplary embodiment, the reset mechanism is associated with a control means whose function is to control the movement of the reset mechanism (RM) associated with it inside the unit.
According to this embodiment, the second part comprises a push pin connected at one of its ends to the reset mechanism, its other end extending outside the unit through an opening provided on the accessible side of the unit.
The choice of the reset mechanism is a function of the choice of the type of circuit breaker used.
Advantageously, the reset mechanism is held apart from the push button of said at least one circuit breaker by means of at least one spring, and the resetting of said at least one circuit breaker is achieved by compressing said at least one spring until the push button of said at least one circuit breaker is depressed and resets the circuit breaker.
Certain circuit breakers have a push button that shows through its state (in or out) whether a break has occurred (out) and that allows reactivation by pressing on the push button. Advantageously, this type of circuit breaker allows the spring of the circuit breaker to eject the push button in case of electrical failure. The push button drives the reset mechanism, the push pin TP and the push button BP in its movement, the displacement of the push button BP on the accessible side of the unit indicating that an electrical failure has occurred in the cabinet ARM.
Preferably, a circuit breaker protects a respective electrical device in the cabinet, and each circuit breaker is associated with a reset mechanism so as to identify the electrical device in which the failure has occurred.
In our exemplary embodiment, the unit comprises several circuit breakers and the reset mechanism RM covers all of the circuit breakers (BRK1-BRK6), thus making it possible to reset all of the circuit breakers included in the unit simultaneously.
The reset mechanism can cover all of the circuit breakers and reset all of the circuit breakers included in the unit simultaneously.
A corollary subject of the invention is a method for resetting at least one manually resettable circuit breaker included in a power distribution unit, said unit comprising at least one distribution point for the power supply, and at least one female outlet on its side designed to receive a respective male connector of an electrical device, said point being electrically connected by means of a respective electrical cable to said at least one circuit breaker, said at least one circuit breaker comprising a respective push button for resetting it, a circuit breaker being connected by means of a respective electrical cable to at least one female outlet, characterized in that it consists of placing said at least one circuit breaker inside the unit, and in that if at least one circuit breaker trips, it consists of resetting said at least one circuit breaker remotely.
In our exemplary embodiment, the remote reset consists of using at least two mechanical parts, a first part that fastens said at least one circuit breaker into the unit, a second part having the function of moving inside the unit so as to reset said at least one circuit breaker remotely.
The method consists, for example, of equipping the second part with a reset mechanism, whose surface covers at least said push button of said at least one circuit breaker, and in that it consists of moving this reset mechanism by means of a push pin wherein one of the ends is attached to the reset mechanism and the other end extends outside the unit.
On the whole, the location of the circuit breakers inside the unit and the capability to reset the circuit breakers remotely provides many advantages.
A first advantage is an increase in space on the accessible side of the distribution unit; the invention thus makes it possible to increase the power distribution capacity of the distribution unit, i.e., to increase the number of power supply outlets it can contain for supplying power to the electrical devices in a cabinet.
A second advantage is that the cabinet maintains optimal electrical protection against potential failures in the cabinet.
The invention also has the big advantage of providing only one access on the accessible side of the unit in order to facilitate maintenance and safety.
Another non-negligible advantage is that the distribution unit is easy to use.
Another advantage is that the distribution unit is easy to install, which saves time during its installation.
This results in a computer cabinet comprising at least one power distribution unit for supplying power to at least one electrical device included in the cabinet, said unit comprising at least one distribution point P for the power supply, and at least one female outlet on its side designed to receive a male connector of a respective electrical device, said point being electrically connected by means of a respective electrical cable to at least one manually resettable circuit breaker, said at least one circuit breaker comprising a respective push button for resetting it, a circuit breaker being connected by means of a respective electrical cable to at least one female outlet, characterized in that the unit is the one described above.